While Gilbert and guests celebrated the moment, the community wondered about the future. The casino is part of a new urban breed intended to integrate with its surroundings, but would the Horseshoeprove to be a cure or curse?

Profits haven't popped eyes, but the casino has put more feet on the streets. Restaurant owners and others say downtown is far livelier at night, particularly on weekends, than it has been in a long time.

Downtown Councilman Joe Cimperman gives the casino an A for its first year andbasesthe grade on what didn't happen. He said the Horseshoe didn't drain the life out of neighboring bars and restaurants and crime did not soar, a contention borne out by police statistics.

"I think the reality is that the casino has been a lot more of a positive than people expected," said Cimperman.

The three gaming levels in the casino, located in the former Higbee department store, were filled at 11 p.m. on the first Saturday of this month. A predominantly young crowd thronged the tables to place minimum bets of $15 on craps and $25 on blackjack.

Customers wearing Indians gear lingered seven hours after the baseball game ended at Progressive Field. Others appeared squeezed insidea railing in a second-floor lounge area, illustrating why Horseshoe General Manager Marcus Glover wants to reconfigure the crowded casino to create more space for hanging out and people watching.

"A night on the town is now dinner and a movie and maybe a casino visit," Glover said. "Before it was just dinner and a movie."

Critics are impatient for a promised larger casino -- now technically an expansion -- on 16 acres overlooking the Cuyahoga River. Gilbert Tweeted last week that the project is in the design stage and said he will provide more information soon.

Cleveland is projecting that the city will receive $13.4 million in gaming taxes this year, well below previous estimates that were based on the additional construction and ranged as high as $29 million. The city administration will use its 85 percent share of the tax money to finance improvements to recreation centers and other public buildings, while City Council gets the remaining $2 million for neighborhood projects.

The take is offset by the $3.1 million expense of the Police Department's 51-member downtown unit, which was nearly tripled in size and maintains a round-the-clock watch on the square. The city also set aside $831,000 this year for seasonal workers to clean up downtown.

"All the projections were much more optimistic," Finance Director Sharon Dumas said. "I still think it's very much a positive addition to downtown. . . . I'm not disappointed."

Glover said the Horseshoe has aided the community with 1,600 jobs, adding that the force has remained overwhelmingly local despite turnover that he acknowledges exceeds 20 percent. According to the casino, it also has treated loyal customers to $1.4 million in complimentary meals at neighboring restaurants and 61,000 overnight stays at hotels.

Erik Curry, general manager of the Chocolate Bar in the Hyatt Arcade, one of the Horseshoe's 16 restaurant "partners," said he isn't certain that the casino has pushed a lot of business his way. What he did notice last year during warm weather was a spike in panhandling that was so aggressive the restaurant had to station an employee on the patio to "keep the peace."

Spokesmen for Johnny's Downtown in the Warehouse District and the Hyde Park steakhouse in Tower City, estimate that casino voucher holders and other spillover have upped business as much as 15 percent. They welcome their new neighbor.

"For us, it's a little bit more exposure," said Dave Flowers, general manager at Johnny's. "It really has given us a push, and that's even without the vouchers."

In the beginning, some restaurant owners said, the casino functioned like a black hole, drawing in energy with force so mighty that business diminished elsewhere. Hyde Park felt the pull for 10 to 20 days, then began to rebound, said Joe Saccone, president and a partner in the company.

"Business has progressed, and business has grown," said Saccone, who attributed some of the climb to post-recession recovery. "It's been a very positive thing for Hyde Park."

Greg Dabran, partner and general manager of the Lincoln Tap House in Tower City, had to wait longer to see advantages, possibly because his business didn't make the list for comps. He said casino operators told him they didn't want moderately priced competition for three locally flavored outlets in the Horseshoe food court.

Dabran geared up for the casino's arrival by adding 24 employees and laying out about $60,000 to renovate the restaurant. But when Horseshoe opened, business that had been growing each month by double-digit percentages went in reverse. He axed the new workers.

"Casino faces" started showing up about six months ago, primarily on weekends, but still account for only about 3 percent to 5 percent of the Tap House's business, Dabran estimated. He said he could absorb many more customers but that it's his responsibility to attract and retain them.

"If we're not going to continue to grow with the casino, then that's on us," he said. "Nothing in life is free. I'm happy the casino is here."

While spin-off development hasn't exactly caught fire, Joe Marinucci, head of the Downtown Cleveland Alliance business group, said the casino, the new convention center and Global Center for Health Innovation and larger numbers of people living downtown have at least created a spark.

Marinucci pointed to several hotel projects and the new Red the Steakhouse that is under construction near the Horseshoe. And while a new Potbelly sandwich shop or Chipotle might not seem significant, he said their arrival marks the return of national restaurant outlets to downtown for the first time in years.

Marinucci will use the casino as one of his selling points when he travels to a global retail real estate convention that the International Council of Shopping Centers will hold in Las Vegas, starting Sunday. He said department stores aren't likely to return soon, but boutique shops may be within reach.

"We are going to be aggressively talking about the casino," said Marinucci, "We think we're at the point where we can really push the envelope from a retail aspect."

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